Welcome to Time to Talk Befriending

Time to Talk Befriending is a local charity rooted in the Sussex communities it serves. We offer a personalised model of intergenerational befriending, community outreach and seasonal campaigning, signposting and group befriending across the City of Brighton and Hove. As a result of a pilot in 2017 we also support a small number of older people in Adur and Worthing as well. We work with older people aged 65+ who experience feelings of chronic loneliness caused by social isolation. The foundation of the Charity is built on Christian values. We are motivated by our belief that older people should be honoured and respected. We continue to work collaboratively with individuals and organisations from different backgrounds, faiths and beliefs to tackle the serious issue of loneliness head on.

Loneliness effecting our elders has become a huge problem within society both nationally and locally because the older generation are more vulnerable due to:

Problems getting out of the house due to poor mobility.

Health concerns which mean they need more help.

Family who might have moved away or work full-time.

Loved ones who have passed away.

For many older people loneliness is an unwelcome feeling of loss. The fear of loneliness alone is said to cause more anxiety than a lack of money or deteriorating health. In fact, loneliness is proven to cause early loss of life which is why services like ours are needed to help our elders to feel connected with their community, with volunteer befrienders and each-other. Maintaining friendships and remaining active are two key factors to improving wellbeing in later life. We therefore cannot advocate intergenerational befriending enough!